The present disclosure relates, in general, to automotive vehicles, and, more particularly, to automotive fluid reservoir noise reduction methods and apparatuses.
Automotive vehicles include numerous components and systems which vibrate during vehicle operation. Such vibrations can create objectionable noise levels within the vehicle passenger compartment.
Vehicle transmissions and engines use automotive fluid, such as lubricant, to lubricate their operating components. A portion of such automotive fluid, typically lubricating oil, is contained in a fluid reservoir, such as an oil pan. The lubricating oil is pumped from the oil pan into the transmission or engine, as the case may be, and flows back to the oil pan in a closed loop circuit.
An automotive oil pan can take numerous shapes depending on the vehicle model. However, an oil pan usually includes a large bottom wall from which a plurality of sidewalls project. The sidewalls terminate in a mounting flange which is used to receive fasteners to attach the oil pan to the vehicle.
The large bottom wall of the oil pan is known to resonate at certain engine or transmission speeds. Such resonance creates additional vibration and, therefore, noise which adds to the noise generated by the operating transmission or engine.
It would be desirable to provide noise reduction control for an automotive fluid reservoir, such as an oil pan, which can minimize resonance of the oil pan thereby eliminating undesirable vibrations and resulting noise.